According to Dr. Ricordi and colleagues, successful engraftment and long term survival of transplanted adipose tissue has increased interest in structural fat grafting, yet there is a high percentage (up to 70%) of tissue resorption over time. Adipose cells can also fall victim to trauma during harvesting. In contrast, progenitor cells have minimal metabolic requirements and tend to survive longer.

"Adipose-derived stem cells might very well represent the only tissue surviving transplantation," concluded Dr. Ricordi. "There is much more to be learned in tissue remodeling following adipose tissue transplantation and it is time to carefully re-examine the potential implications of autologous fat grafting as being more than the filler concept for which it was originally utilized."

"These two articles highlight the considerable promise for therapeutic and cosmetic benefit from the relatively new derivation of stem cells from fat cells," said Dr. Paul Sanberg, co-editor-in-chief of the journal Cell Transplantation and executive director of the University of South Florida Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair. "It will be of great interest to see how the clinical use of these cells will develop."

Contact: Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Cell Transplant Center and Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, 1450 NW 10th Ave., Miami, FL, USA 33136, Tel:+ 305-243-4404; Fax: 305-243-6913 Email: ricordimiami

Citation: Tremolada, C.; Palmieri, G.; Ricordi, C. Adipocyte Transplantation and Stem Cells: Plastic Surgery Meets Regenerative Medicine. Cell Transplant. 19(10):1217-1223; 2010.

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Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair